The international nature of the fresh produce business and a focus on consumer satisfaction will be two of the stand-out features of this year's Macfrut, the annual fresh fruit and vegetable trade fair for the Mediterranean basin, according to the event's organisers.
The show, which takes place in the Italian town of Cesena on 6-8 October 2010, will be preceded by the second edition of the European Fruit Summit, which takes place on 5 October and offers an opportunity for international producers and researchers to take stock of current market situation for apples, pears, kiwifruit and citrus.
This year's Macfrut also includes the much-anticipated European Forum of Fruit and Vegetable Regions, due to take place on 6 October, where directors from Europe's leading fruit and vegetable production regions will discuss several key topics of relevance to the sector, such as the central role of producer organisations in terms of building efficiency, trading relationships with large retail chains, crisis management, consumption and barriers to free trade.
According to organiser Cesena Fiera, more than 300 meetings between foreign businesses and exhibitors have already been organised, proving once again the importance of the show in terms of fostering trade relations and creating a more international produce industry.
Some of Italy's leading retailers, such as Coop Italia and Conad, will exhibit at Macfrut 2010, as will retail giants from overseas including German group Edeka and Pomona from France.
Emerging supplier countries from Africa, such as Africa will also feature prominently, while a new joint venture agreement between Macfrut and the US Produce Marketing Association is likely to offer more opportunities for the shows to cooperate and enjoy a mutually beneficial exchange of information.
According to Domenico Scarpellini, president of Macfrut, another central aspect of Macfrut's 2010 edition will be a focus on meeting consumers' demands more adequately. 'Aggregation and coordination among producers are no longer enough,' he commented. 'Quality must be perceivable and perceived by consumers.'
To that end, the afternoon of 7 October will see Macfrut host a special round table discussion looking at educational, economic and development opportunities, in which key industry players will talk about their experiences of taking part in school fruit programmes.
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